The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

Introduction to National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

Your course is about preparing environmental impact statements that are compliant with NEPA and decisions of federal courts. Here are some basic facts about NEPA:

• NEPA became law on January 1, 1970, and is officially entitled, "The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969."

• NEPA is recorded in the United States Code as Title 42, Chapter 55, Section 4321; the official citation for the act is 42 USC § 4321.

• The act created the Environmental Protection Agency, and dissolved the former Cabinet Committee on the Environment.
• The act also created the Council on Environmental Quality.
  

Finding the Full-Text of NEPA

Lexis Nexis Academic    http://irservices.library.unt.edu/resource.cfm?ai_id=149

You can access the full-text of NEPA in the United States Code Service (USCS is an annotated code from Lexis Nexis) through this electronic database by following these steps:

1. Select the Legal link at the top left of opening screen
2. Select Federal & State Codes from the left panel
3. Click the button for the Natural Language search
4. Type ["National Environmental Policy Act"] in the search box and Search
5. Click on entry #6, 42 USCS § 4321

 **To find summaries of court cases pertaining to NEPA, scroll to the bottom of the document and see the notes provided by Lexis Nexis. They are called Interpretive Notes and Decisions**

return to top

Finding Federal Regulations Related to NEPA

Lexis Nexis Academic    http://irservices.library.unt.edu/resource.cfm?ai_id=149

You can access the full-text of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) using this database. Please follow these steps:

1. Select the Legal link at the top left of opening screen
2. Select Federal & State Codes from the left panel
3. From the Sources drop-down menu, select CFR - Code of Federal Regulations
4. Leave search on Terms and Connectors
5. Type in the Title and Section that you want to find, e.g. ["Title 40" and "Part 1500"], and Search

return to top

Need More Help Finding Laws or Regulations?

 Contact or visit the Government Documents Department [http://www.library.unt.edu/govinfo/contact-us] on the 3rd floor of the Willis Library. They are the experts at legal and government research!

 return to top

Continue to The Federal Court System